rite of passage

UK: /rit də pɑsaʒ/

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rite′ of pas′sage, 

1. Anthropology a ceremony performed to facilitate or mark a person's change of status upon any of several highly important occasions, as at the onset of puberty or upon entry into marriage or into a clan.
2. any important act or event that serves to mark a passage from one stage of life to another.
• 1955–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

rite of passage, rite de passage / rit də pɑsaʒ/ noun

1. a ceremony performed in some cultures at times when an individual changes his or her status, as at puberty and marriage
2. (as modifier): a rite-of-passage novel